Home On Holiday

Yesterday I was paid a visit by Allan Sharp and Eric McMahon who is home on holiday from New Zealand. They had been to Killin and cycled via Kenknock to Glen Lyon, Brig o' Balgie, Glen Lawers and back to Killin. So they looked in on their way back and it was a bit of surprise to find that Eric had emigrated almost 50 years ago - as much because Billy Hislop and I had been delegated to buy him a gift (we got him a hip flask from the Big Store in Alexander Street.) It got me thinking that the club atmosphere was one where we sent telegrams on wedding days, bought gifts for members being married (kitchen tools sets were popular), bought going away gifts for members leaving the district or country (clocks, paintings, etc) and sometimes even gave them cash if that was desired/required. It had long been a custom that we recognise milestones in the lives of club members - when Andy McMillan and Jean Tait married just before the War a collection was rounded up by the committee to the grand sum of 30/- (£!:50 in new money) and Tom Millar (who had done the club reports in the 'Clydebank Post' under the pen name of Excelsior received a fountain pen. However, back to the real reason for this post: Eric isn't the only emigrant home for the holidays - his cousin John Hume will arrive next week from Canada and with any luck at all, Allan will bring them both up to see us.